


Pinnacle Physique

by kibasniper



Series: Honorary Tales [16]
Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Arm Wrestling, Developing Friendships, During Canon, F/M, First Meetings, Gen, Light Flirting, Light Jealousy, Strength, minor red star/pantha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 05:11:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17595227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kibasniper/pseuds/kibasniper
Summary: In their first meeting, Pantha and Red Star arm wrestle. Wildebeest doesn't approve of what's happening between them.





	Pinnacle Physique

“I take it that you and I might be the oldest ones here.”

Pantha’s attention broke from Wildebeest as the newcomer approached her. She narrowed her eyes despite knowing she was among allies. They had just defeated the Brotherhood of Evil, but her nerves still itched. Surprises weren’t meant to be taken lightly in her opinion, and she looked over her shoulder from her spot on the stool in the Titans’ kitchen as her fellow heroes chatted up a storm about their victory.

Red Star grinned down at her. He seemed imposing, but his friendly face betrayed his build. His smile was a bit too small for her liking as he took a seat by her, and she felt Wildebeest huddle closer to her, hot air snorting out of his nostrils.

Tilting her head, she brushed her full locks over her shoulder. “True. These Teen Titans, they really look so young. I’d even call some of them baby-faced.”

Wildebeest huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at her. Sighing, Pantha patted his arm, his grumbling common.

“Even though you act like a big baby, I wasn’t talking about you.” She felt Red Star’s curious gaze on her, and she withdrew her arm. She gently pursed her lips, waiting for him to continue the conversation.

His grin remained. “You two seem close.”

She almost wanted to roll her eyes. “We have a long history together. I’m sure it spans long before the Teen Titans even formed.”

Red Star nodded, and Pantha still felt an air of apprehension around him. She understood everyone was still on edge. Even though he was presenting himself as civilized, she noticed the tiny spark of anxiety twinkling in his eyes. He sat painfully straight, his back seemingly ready to crack under imaginary pressure, but she understood that well.

She scanned his physique. He was broad and well-structured, his uniform protecting his powerful arms. Compared to the other scrawnier Titans, he seemed built for strength. She appreciated anyone who took extensive care in their training, and wondering if she had found a kindred sparring spirit, Pantha smirked.

“What about you, big man? I can see you’re muscular, but how strong are you?” She gestured at his arms.

Red Star patted his forearm, a hesitant chuckle rolling over his tongue. “Oh, well, I try to stay humble about my strength.”

Pantha furrowed her brow. Humility was honorable, but he acted too embarrassed for her liking. Strength was all about presentation. When she wrestled, she made sure to put on the best show for the crowd. She trained for that performance, to hear the wild cheers of her supporters calling out her name at the end of the battle.

Trying to brush off her rare compliment pinched her nerve. Leaning forward, Pantha jabbed her elbow on the table, and Wildebeest chuckled, a guttural sound echoing in the back of his throat. He knew where she was going, and he rounded between them, blocking out the views of other curious Titans.

“If there’s no need for talking, then let’s see what your strength can do,” she jeered, a wicked glint in her eyes.

Red Star sensed heat in her words that prickled his skin. He watched her hand form a mighty claw prepared to clench his bones into dust underneath his fair skin. He peered over to Wildebeest, who crossed his arms as if challenging him to address her. Red Star took a breath, any traces of wariness gone from his expression as she leered at him to clutch her hand.

“If you insist, then let’s go,” he said, and he clapped his hand in hers, squeezing as hard as he could.

Pantha grimaced, her arm immediately moving towards the table. She grinded down on her molars as Red Star maintained his composure, eyes wide behind his visor. She applied as much pressure as she could, her own hand burning bright red, and she wondered if underneath Red Star’s glove, his hand looked the same with his bones cracking from her power.

Red Star grunted, pushing her hand towards the table. He noticed drops of sweat dribble down from the side of her brow. She was giving it her all, grunting through clenched teeth, and he continued pushing her. He felt Wildebeest’s eyes bore down on him with an emotion that he couldn’t see, too engrossed in combat to properly analyze him.

The smooth tabletop caressed her hand, and Red Star quickly released her. She listened to him take a deeper breath, closing his eyes and shaking his hand. She swallowed, a grim satisfaction in knowing she had at least given him a run for his money.

She heaved out a sharp breath. “You really knocked the wind out of me.”

As Wildebeest massaged Pantha’s shoulders, Red Star nodded. “Thank you. I wouldn’t hold back on an equal challenge. If you are willing, shall we go again?”

Wildebeest growled, raising his fist, ready to take him on in her place. He was acting far too nonchalant for his liking. Pantha was the strongest person he knew, and for him to take her down without breaking a sweat, Wildebeest scowled.

Pantha waved for him to stand down. The defeated look of a weak puppy immediately crossed his face, and she sighed, rolling her eyes. She was too soft on him. Telling him she was fine, Pantha narrowed her gaze onto Red Star and fixed her posture.

As Red Star clutched her hand again, Pantha sharply bore down on her teeth. She held her breath, feeling the muscles in her arm tense beyond all belief. He exerted so much pressure that she almost conceded, but she forged ahead, fire blazing in her eyes.

Red Star had to admit that he was impressed. His last good challenger was Starfire. Compared to Starfire, who was gifted with natural alien strength, Pantha had trained herself to a peak prowess of human physicality. Even he felt his arm tense up, his elbow shifting slightly as she slowly pushed his hand to the table.

She was impressive, he had to eagerly admit, as she forced him to bend. With a crack, his hand crashed into the table followed by her sharp intake of breath. Grimacing, Red Star shook his hand and blew on it.

Wildebeest clapped and uttered a howl. He high-fived Pantha, and her other stinging, scarlet hand fidgeted on the table. Smirking at Red Star, Wildebeest raised his snout in the air, proud of her triumph.

“You aren’t even breaking a sweat,” she said, her victorious high coming down when she examined his face.

Red Star chuckled. “I should have mentioned that I am a superhuman, but to face me like that, you are incredibly powerful. You must have trained for a very long time.”

With his admission, Pantha felt a spark of pride swell in her chest. “I follow a strict regime with Wildebeest. A hundred push-ups, sit-ups, and many more!”

As she laughed, Wildebeest pounded on his chest. His thudding echoed and matched their boldness. He knew something was strange with Red Star, and arrogance surged within him. At least Pantha’s strength was natural.

“Knowing you’re superhuman does make me suspicious.” Pantha blew on her hand. “Do you regularly train?”

“I do.” Red Star scratched his neck. “When you isolate yourself for several years, all you can do is be physically fit, yes?”

Red Star laughed, but the reactions were not what he expected. Wildebeest’s former arrogance faded into something similar to concern as he and Pantha exchanged a glance. He supposed his years in self-imposed isolation as penance really caused his underdeveloped social skills to show.

She drummed her fingers on the table, a faraway look in her eyes.“Isolation, huh?”

Red Star sensed the strange tension he created. He dug his fingers into his gloved palms and tried to maintain a smile.

Pantha hummed, resting her knuckles to her cheek. “Well, I could use a new training partner, and Wildebeest definitely needs to polish up on his techniques, too, for getting captured so easily.”

Wildebeest huffed like a spoiled child. He even had the nerve to stomp his hoof and cross his arms. He didn’t want to give Red Star any satisfaction in admitting his own faults, and hearing Pantha criticize him left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Don’t be like that,” she warned, leering up to him, and Wildebeest avoided her pointed look. Shaking her head, Pantha grinned at Red Star. “What do you say, big man? Want to wrestle and train with the mighty Pantha and Wildebeest?”

His mouth fell open. She welcomed him without a hint of hesitation. When he gazed at Wildebeest, even he was managing a strange smirk as if agreeing to his presence. He still didn’t know their history, but like Starfire, they opened their arms and accepted him.

A warmth burned in his chest, and he found himself smiling more naturally. “I would be honored to take you up on that offer. Thank you.”

“Good! We’ll start-huh?”

Alarms blared around them, and the other Titans sprung into action. They directed their attention to a monitor showing Dr. Light in the middle of a robbery, and Pantha picked at her ear, remembering Beast Boy saying he was a joke of a villain.

“Oh, good. Fresh meat,” she jeered, and Wildebeest cracked his knuckles, grinning.

“I am thinking he will be less than a worthy opponent,” Red Star said, rising from his seat with her.

“You can say that again, but now in a fight, even if it’s with someone pathetic like him, I want to see what you’re made of. Show us something worthy of the attention of Pantha, big man.”

Pantha winked, and the corners of her lips hitched upwards into a confident smirk. Heat flushed Red Star’s cheeks, and she took that as her final victory, the bell chiming in her head signing off on their fight. As Red Star chuckled and Wildebeest bristled, she eagerly ran into her new life with the other Titans, happy to have found a new partner.


End file.
